print your design

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please read through all the answers below. We have compiled this list based on the questions we regularly receive from clients who wish to work with us to print their professional stationery. If there are still any elements that need clarification, feel free to contact us!

1) WHAT are your paper options?

We are a boutique letterpress print shop and we regularly stock the following deluxe papers, all of which are ideal for letterpress printing. These are all available in brilliant white or soft white.

Strathmore 130lb stock (best for flat cards and business cards)Reich Savoy 118lb stock (best for flat cards and folded cards)Reich Savoy 184lb stock (best for heavyweight flat cards and business cards)Reich Savoy 236lb stock (best for larger prints when a heavyweight paper is desired)Other papers are available upon request, but we have found the above to be the best for letterpress printing.

2) HOW DO WE LET YOU KNOW WHICH COLORS WE WANT?

Please specify a color from the Pantone Solid Uncoated line and we will mix to match. If you do not have access to a Pantone book, please refer to our ink options and select a color from one of these swatches.

3) CAN YOU PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED?

The letterpress printing process involves pressing the inked, raised surface of a plate into the card, resulting in a debossed impression. As mentioned above, there is a bit of show through from the front to the back of the cards. We always recommend single sided printing if possible as we can print a little deeper and the impression is a little crisper. If your design requires doublesided printing, we recommend the heavier weight card stocks. There will be a slight bit of show through on the 184lb stock but usually no show through on the 236lb stock.

4) WE LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING OUR DESIGN BLIND EMBOSSED: CAN YOU DO THIS?

Blind embossing is printing with clear or no ink. We find this is usually too subtle for a business card (especially if you are considering printing your name or logo without ink). We recommend a tinted embossing instead if you are interested in a very subtle effect.

5) CAN YOU PRINT BLEEDS AND LARGE AREAS OF COLOR?

Large solid areas of color do not print well on our presses. This tends to look a bit patchy and uneven. A solid flood of color with knockout white type is also inadvisable. The solid color is difficult to get even from card to card without filling in the negative white space (type, logo etc…)

6) CAN YOU PRINT ON COLORED STOCK?

We don’t regularly stock colored papers as these are not available in the heavier weight stock we tend to use. If you have a particular color or type of paper you prefer though, we can usually order this and print for you.

7) what ink colors are available?

You can choose from our standard ink colors, or specify a Pantone PMS color (solid uncoated line). We cannot match a CMYK color. If you don't have access to a Pantone book and have a specific color in mind, please mail us a swatch (we can't match from a computer screen) and we will mix the ink to match.

8) what about impression?

Letterpress printing can range from light impression to deep impression. Most people prefer the deeper impression that is characteristic with letterpress printing (you will see the type debossed into the card surface with a bit of impression show through on the reverse). Unless specify otherwise, we will print with our standard deep impression.

9) CAN YOU PRINT LIGHT INK ON DARK COLORED STOCK?

Letterpress ink is not 100% opaque so printing a white or light colored ink on darker stock is not advisable as it will not look as white and crisp as people would usually like. Printing darker in on lighter paper is always better.

10) CAN YOU DO ANY OTHER TYPES PRINTING?

We only print letterpress so we are not able to provide you with a quote for flat printed cards (digital, offset etc…)